Flexo Printing Machine With Full Servo – All UV Dryer And Hot Air Dryer

A full servo flexo printing machine is a rotary flexographic press where every printing station is driven by an independent servo motor instead of a common mechanical gear train.

In a conventional flexo press, one main motor drives all the units through gears and shafts. The units move together, and small errors can travel down the line. In a full servo press, each station has its own drive, controlled electronically from a central touch screen. Registration between colours is corrected by the control system, and the operator can set up and adjust each station without stopping the whole line.

Depending on the configuration, the RK full servo machine can combine:

• Servo-driven multi-colour flexographic printing (2 to 12 colours)
• Automatic plate registration
• All UV drying
• Hot air drying
• Chiller drum system
• Full touch screen control
• Electronic web guide (ultrasonic based)
• Automatic tension control with load cell feedback
• Quick change printing cylinders
• Two rotary die-cutting units with conveyor belt system
• Turn bar, cold foil, lamination, delam-relam, sheeter stacker, and other optional units

The configuration published on this page uses 8 servo-based printing units with all UV dryer and hot air dryer, a maximum print width of 310 mm, a maximum print length of 450 mm, and a listed speed of 100 to 120 m/min with the UV dryer.

One Servo Per Station

Each printing unit has its own servo drive. The control system keeps every station in step with the web, so registration holds from the start of the roll to the end. When a job changes, the operator adjusts one station without affecting the rest of the line.

Automatic Plate Registration

Manual registration takes time and material. The automatic plate registration system on this machine brings the plates into position electronically, which cuts setup waste at the start of every job. For printers who change jobs several times a day, this matters more than the top speed of the machine.

All UV Dryer and Hot Air Dryer

Different inks and substrates dry differently. UV inks cure under the UV lamps; water-based and solvent-based inks need hot air. This machine carries both systems, so the same press can run film labels on UV inks in the morning and paper labels on hot air in the afternoon without a change in the drying setup.

Chiller Drum System

Thin films can stretch or distort when they pass through heat. The chiller drum keeps the web temperature under control after drying, which helps the machine hold registration on substrates as thin as 12 micron.

Vario Print and Quick Job Change

The vario print facility allows ± 4 mm adjustment of the print length with the same printing cylinder. Combined with the quick change printing cylinder system and one-time pressure setting for each job, this reduces the time between finishing one job and starting the next.

Electronic Web Guide and Tension Control

The unwinding unit uses an ultrasonic-based electronic web guide and an imported auto electronic tension controller with load cell feedback. The rewinding unit uses an auto tension controller with powder clutch. Together, these keep the web moving in a controlled way through printing, drying, and die cutting.

Inline Rotary Die Cutting

The machine includes two rotary die-cutting units. One handles die cutting; the second handles sheet cutting or full cutting with a conveyor belt system. Finished labels or sheets come off the line without a separate converting step.

The substrate roll is loaded on the unwinding unit with the air pneumatic loading system. The web passes through the electronic web guide and the tension controller, which keep it centred and at a steady tension.

From there, the web enters the printing stations. At each station, a ceramic anilox roller meters ink onto the printing plate, and the plate transfers the image to the web. The servo drive on each station keeps the plate in register with the stations before and after it. After each colour, the web passes through the UV or hot air dryer, and then over the chiller drum where required.

After printing, the web moves through the optional units fitted on the line, such as turn bar, cold foil, or lamination, and then into the rotary die-cutting section. The first die-cutting unit cuts the label shape; the second can sheet-cut or full-cut onto the conveyor belt. Finished rolls are wound on the rewinding unit with its own tension control.

In sequence, the line can cover:

• Unwinding with pneumatic reel loading
• Web guiding and tension control
• Servo-driven flexographic printing
• UV or hot air drying
• Chiller drum cooling
• Turn bar, cold foil, lamination, or delam-relam (optional)
• Rotary die cutting
• Sheet cutting or full cutting with conveyor
• Rewinding, sheeter stacker, or snowball rewinding

The whole line runs from the full touch screen control system, so the operator sets up and monitors the job from one place.

A full servo press is generally chosen when the work involves long runs, film substrates, higher colour counts, or tight registration requirements. Common applications include:

Pharmaceutical Labels

Pharma labels carry small text, batch information, and regulatory content that must print cleanly. Automatic registration and controlled tension help keep this text sharp across the full run.

Food and Beverage Labels

Food and beverage labels combine branding graphics with product information, often on both paper and film. The dual UV and hot air drying system allows the same machine to handle both substrate types.

Cosmetic Labels

Cosmetic brands use multi-colour graphics, metallic effects, and finishes on film. With up to 12 colours, cold foil, and lamination options, the machine can cover these requirements inline.

FMCG Labels

FMCG runs are long and repeat across many SKUs. The listed speed of 100 to 120 m/min with UV dryer, combined with quick job change, suits high-volume label production.

Film and Shrink Labels

With a substrate range starting at 12 micron and a chiller drum system, the machine is suitable for thin film applications where heat control is important.

Industrial Labels

Industrial labels need durable printing on the correct substrate. The machine can run the film and paper materials commonly used for identification, warning, and product labels.

The published substrate range is 12 micron to 200 GSM. Within this range, the machine can run:

• Self-adhesive label stock
• Paper
• PVC
• BOPP
• PET
• Other compatible filmic materials

The final print result depends on the combination of substrate, ink type, anilox specification, drying system, and plate. Before finalizing a configuration, share your actual material samples and specifications with the RK team. Anilox rollers and printing cylinders are supplied as per your requirement, so this discussion decides what goes on the machine.

The published configuration lists several optional units. Each one solves a specific production need:

Video Monitor

Lets the operator watch the printed web at speed and catch print or registration issues before a full roll is wasted.

Turn Bar for Reverse Printing

Flips the web so the machine can print on the back side of the substrate in the same pass, used for two-sided labels and film applications.

Cold Foil / Lamination Unit

Applies metallic foil or a protective laminate inline, common in cosmetic and premium product labels.

Delam-Relam

Separates the liner from the face stock, prints on the adhesive side or the liner, and rejoins them. Used for multi-layer and promotional labels.

Sheeter Stacker

Collects sheet-cut output into stacks instead of rewinding, for jobs delivered as sheets.

Snowball Rewinding

A rewinding arrangement for specific finished-roll requirements.

Whether an option is needed depends on your job mix. Adding units that your jobs do not use increases cost and machine length without adding output.

The full servo machine sits at the higher end of the RK flexo range. Depending on your production requirements, one of these machines may be a better fit:

• Vertical-Tower MachineFlexographic printing and converting range with a compact vertical unit arrangement, for label printers who need multi-colour printing with inline die cutting in a smaller footprint.
• RK F 320/6 Colour With IR Lamp With Hot Air SystemA six-colour flexo rotary label printing configuration with IR drying and rotary die cutting.
• RK F 320/3 Colour With IR Lamp With Hot Air SystemA three-colour configuration for label jobs that do not need a higher colour count.
• Micro Flexo MachineA compact two-colour flexo rotary printing and die-cutting machine with a 220 mm feeding width.

Moving from these pages to the full servo machine, or the other way, helps buyers compare configurations before speaking to the RK team.

RK Label Printing Machinery Pvt. Ltd. has been manufacturing label printing and converting machinery since 1995 from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The company operates three manufacturing units in Gujarat and supplies machinery to customers across 23+ countries.

RK builds machines to the customer's configuration rather than a fixed catalogue model. The number of colours, web width, drying arrangement, die-cutting stations, and optional units are decided against the customer's actual jobs. For a full servo press, where the investment is higher and the machine is expected to run for years, this matching process matters.

Alongside the flexo range, RK manufactures rotary die-cutting machines, label inspection machines, label slitting machines, flatbed die-cutting machines, shrink sleeve machines, and other label production equipment, so the full production line can come from one supplier.

A higher colour count or a wider web does not automatically mean a better machine for your plant. Start from the jobs you actually run.

1. 1

   What substrates do you print?

   The machine covers 12 micron to 200 GSM. If your work is mainly thin film, the chiller drum and UV drying become central. If it is mainly paper, hot air drying does more of the work.

2. 2

   How many colours do your jobs use?

   The machine is available from 2 to 12 colours. Count the colours on your regular jobs, not your occasional ones.

3. 3

   Which web width suits your job sizes?

   Web width options are 320, 450, 550, and 670 mm. Match this to your common label layouts and the roll widths your suppliers provide.

4. 4

   What repeat range do you need?

   The published repeat range is 228 to 650 mm. Check your label sizes against this before finalizing the cylinder sets.

5. 5

   Do you need inline die cutting and sheeting?

   The two rotary die-cutting units handle die cutting and sheet cutting. If your output is finished rolls, this covers the converting step inline.

6. 6

   Which extra options do your jobs need?

   Turn bar, cold foil, lamination, delam-relam, sheeter stacker, and video monitor each add capability and machine length. Select the ones your jobs use.

7. 7

   How much floor space do you have?

   The machine is 8 ft high and 6 ft wide, with a length of 18.5 to 40 ft depending on the number of units and options. RK shares a dimensioned layout drawing before installation so you can confirm the fit.

8. 8

   What are your growth plans?

   If your product range may expand into film, foil, or multi-layer labels, discuss upgrade paths with the RK team before the machine is built.

The price of a full servo flexo printing machine depends on the configuration. Number of colours, web width, drying arrangement, die-cutting stations, anilox rollers, printing cylinder sets, and the optional units all affect the final machine cost.

Prices are quoted ex-works Ahmedabad, with GST at 18% applicable. Engineer transport and stay for installation and training at the customer's site are borne by the customer.

Rather than working from a generic online figure, share your substrate, print width, number of colours, repeat sizes, production target, and finishing needs with RK Label Machines. The engineering team will recommend a configuration and provide a quotation against it.